Steps: Close the Sprint

Sets

  1. Demonstration Ceremony
  2. View the Sprint in Retrospect:
    1. Retrospective Preparation
    2. Retrospective Ceremony
  3. Prepare for the New Sprint
  4. Improve Estimation

Demonstration Ceremony

Facilitator, at the meeting:

  1. Show the list of stories worked in the sprint (the Sprint Plan).
  2. Have members take turns:
    1. Showing the customer and market requirement stories completed.
    2. Briefly describing the business and technical stories completed.
  3. Ask the requester or Team Guide to accept any completed stories not yet accepted, and explain any rejections.
    Note: Create defects for rejections.
  4. Discuss any incomplete stories or open defects.
  5. Show the top of the backlog and request input on content or direction.
  6. Ask for other comments, suggestions, or questions, and discuss these.
  7. If new requirements emerge, add them to the backlog.

Details: “Demonstrate Your Success.”


View the Sprint in Retrospect

Retrospective Preparation

Facilitator:

  1. If you haven’t done so already, create a page or document for capturing the results of the Retrospectives in a location shared only to the team.
  2. (Optional) Each sprint, a day or two in advance of the Retro:
    1. Enter the current sprint into the Retro document.
    2. Invite early comments, asking people to add their initials to their comments.

Details: “Create a Place for the Answers.”


Retrospective Ceremony

Facilitator, at the meeting:

  1. Record answers to the following in the Retro document:
    1. Ask: “What went right in the sprint?”
    2. Ask: “What went wrong in the sprint?”
      Note: Make sure you address the Agile Performance Standards in those two questions.
    3. Ask: “What can we do differently next sprint?”
      Note: Address every “went wrong” item.
  2. Review recent Retro notes for items the team said it would do differently, and discuss whether those were done.
  3. Facilitate additions or revisions to the entire list.
  4. Create stories or action items if needed to address the “do differently” items.
  5. Review the list for corrections, preferably in a different view.

Details: “What Went Right?” (to end of page).


Prepare for the New Sprint

Facilitator:

  1. If using a:
    • Digital tracker:
      1. Create the next sprint, if not already done.
      2. If required by the tracker, close the old one.
        Note: “Sprint” in this context means the place in the tool for each Sprint Plan.
    • Paper tracker:
      1. File accepted story cards as desired.
      2. Clear the sprint-specific dots/pins and lines from your Burndown Chart.
  2. For any incomplete/unaccepted stories and standalone defects:
    1. Split them, placing the new ones either in the next sprint or the backlog according to the TG’s preference.
    2. Revise the story content or tasks to reflect the remaining work.
      Note: This draft revision saves the team time in the next Grooming Session.

Details: “Split Incomplete Stories and Defects.”


Improve Estimation

Facilitator, if the team decides to improve estimation by tracking actuals:

  1. Download the “Sprint Analysis” spreadsheet.
  2. Enter the requested data to compare estimates and actuals to capacities.
  3. Write a short analysis of what the numbers show.
  4. Send or show the data to the team with your analysis.
    Note: Do this in time for the Retro if possible, but an e-mail or paper memo afterward is fine.

Details: “Improve Estimation.”


The team-level Scrum steps end here. Return to the steps for “Groom Stories” or “Plan the Sprint” as appropriate.

Do not proceed with the step sets for release planning, if needed, until you feel comfortable with the sprint process at the team level.

Share this page